Chihiro’s work in the bathhouse turns the fantasy setting into a place of duties and relationships. The story’s central task is to find a way home with her parents.

The 2001 year refers to Japan. Later theatrical and home-video dates describe other releases, and should not replace the original date.

Chihiro’s progress comes through tasks, promises and attention to other beings. She must learn the bathhouse’s routines, but learning a rule does not always mean accepting the values behind it. Watch how her behaviour changes between the first frightening encounters and later moments when she can make a decision for someone else. The fantasy becomes easier to follow when approached through her growing agency rather than as a catalogue of creatures.

Names, work and appetite repeatedly affect relationships in this world. The bathhouse is busy with labour and exchange, not just magical spectacle. Its workers and visitors have immediate wants, which makes apparently bizarre encounters understandable in practical terms. The BFI’s contemporary review is useful here because it connects the film’s visual invention to Chihiro’s actions instead of treating every unfamiliar image as an unsolvable code.

The Japanese cast includes Rumi Hiiragi as Chihiro, Miyu Irino as Haku and Mari Natsuki as Yubaba. A dubbed release uses another performance track, while subtitles translate the Japanese dialogue into text. Either can be a considered viewing choice, but identify the version when discussing a delivery or a line. Miyazaki’s direction, Suzuki’s production and Hisaishi’s music belong to the original film regardless of the selected language track.